Rooftop Grease Containment
Ensure cooking grease doesn’t destroy your roof with containment systems suitable for your commercial operation. Call for a free estimate!
Grease containment systems are essential for safely operating restaurants.
A grease containment system protects areas around the exhaust fan and the roof from damage by capturing the grease and oils that flow out of the hood exhaust fan.
To properly protect your investment, the entire kitchen exhaust system needs to be cleaned on a regular basis and the exhaust fan should have grease containment system in place.
Halo uses a combination of pressure washing and a degreasing chemical to remove the accumulated grease and oil from your roofing system.
A thorough rooftop cleaning followed by installing a grease containment system reduces roof deterioration, costly roof replacements, unsafe work areas and voided roof warranties.
The many benefits of grease containment systems for rooftop exhaust fans.
Grease eats through the petroleum base of rubber roof membranes. A containment system mitigates potential damage by capturing grease from kitchen exhaust fans before it reaches the roof’s surface.
The containment system stores grease, which is then safely removed during regular exhaust hood cleaning service.
Reduce Fire Hazards & Excessive Liability
Excess grease buildup can fuel fires. If a fire starts in the kitchen and moves its way through the ducts, or if a spark makes it up through the fan, the roof has a much easier chance of catching fire when covered in grease and oil. Easily prevent this excessive liability by containing grease before it reaches the roof.
Prevent Costly Roof Repairs & Voided Warranties
If grease and oil contamination damages the roof, manufacturers will often not cover the cost. In fact, some manufacturers require buildings to install a sacrificial layer of roof membrane near exhaust fans. Grease and oil buildup is a leading cause of roof deterioration for commercial cooking operations.
Comply with OSHA, NFPA & EPA Regulations
Grease containment systems help you comply with requirements of multiple regulatory agencies:
- Requirement by OSHA to prevent slip and fall accidents
- NFPA requires a proper exhaust grease trap for all commercial kitchen operations
- EPA prohibits grease, fat, and oils pulled up through the exhaust fan to enter the sewer system
Proper containment of cooking grease helps bring a kitchen exhaust system into compliance.
The 1998 edition of the NFPA-96 Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations states in section 4-8.2.1 Rooftop Termination, item (c) that:
“The ability to drain grease out of any traps or low points formed in the fan or duct near the termination of the system into a collection container that is noncombustible, closed, rainproof, structurally sound for the service to which it is applied, and will not sustain combustion. A grease collection device that is applied to exhaust system shall not inhibit the performance of any fan.”
After evaluating your kitchen exhaust system and volume of your cooking operation, Halo recommends and installs grease containment systems as necessary for your operation.
What is a rooftop grease containment system, anyway?
A grease containment system captures fats, oils and grease directly from a kitchen exhaust fan before it reaches the roof’s surface. Several different types of systems exist that are suitable for various cooking volumes.
All systems protect the areas around the fan and the roof from damage. Well-designed systems prevent contaminants from escaping during all weather conditions including heavy rain.
What happens when they're not properly maintained?
Not only is it important to utilize a rooftop grease containment system, it’s also important that it’s cleaned on a regular schedule according to the cooking volume of your kitchen. There are several risks involved when your grease containment system is not properly or routinely cleaned, including:
1. Fire Risk: One of the most dangerous risks to not keeping a grease containment system maintained is the risk of fire. Grease build-up on the roof can provide fuel for severe restaurant fires. A recent study found that nearly one in five restaurant fires are due to the consistent failure to properly clean the entirety of the kitchen exhaust system.
2. Roof Damage: Grease that makes it up through the exhaust fan to the roof can often damage the roof and cause it to soften, split, crack, blister, warp, and lose stability. These forms of deterioration lead the roofing system to collapse and cause injury or require costly repairs.
3. Financial Risks: Immediately following the safety and health of employees and customers, is always the survival of the business. If damage is inflicted to any part of your commercial cooking operation, it involve costly repairs. Additionally, there can be loss of revenue when a business shuts down for reconstruction or repair.
4. Environmental Concerns: Grease can run off and make its mark on the environment, often at the cost of the natural animals and their habitats. Grease tends to runoff and contaminate the water if it is allowed the time to build up and cause problems.
Schedule a Cleaning Service Anytime.
Estimates are free for all of our cleaning services including installations of rooftop grease containment systems.
